The Sensibilities Of Individuals In Love
by BewilderedFemale
Summary: Miss D'meanon was 32 years of age. Considered a spinster because she was determined to marry for love, and would accept nothing less. Her life however is turned upside down when officers Captain Solok, and later Lieutenant Weyoun take residence in Somerset. Passion, drama, and adventure ensue.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm borrowing the characters Weyoun and Solok from ST DS9 and using them in a totally different setting, but it will still have a ST twist to it every now and then.****  
****  
I had started the story: "Weyoun Falls In Love" but decided it wasn't going in the direction I wanted it to.****  
****This one however is going to be a type of "Pride and Prejudice" approach; completely different. No dominion stuff, no cardassians; just a heads up.**

**This story is going to take place in the early 1800's.**

**"But BewilderedFemale! Vorta's and Vulcans weren't heard of in the 1800's!"**

**Yeah; I know that, but guess what; I'm gonna do it anyway :-) Enjoy!**

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Miss Fae D'meanon. Daughter of Sir Henry D'meanon and Lady Elizabeth Lucas.

The marriage of Fae's parents had been arranged when they were just children by their parents.  
Luckily they had actually grown very attached to one another and thus they lived contently in the countryside of Somerset, England.

Fae was the eldest and had three other siblings, but one had passed away due to small pox when he was five years of age. It had been a hard and dark time for the D'meanon's especially since little Edward had been the only male born into the family.  
The D'meanon's tried for another child but Lady D'meanon had been informed by the doctor that she was past the age of child bearing.

This had been extremely crushing news for it meant that Sir D'meanons estate would be entailed away once he passed away.

"Do not give way to such gloomy thoughts." He would tell them.

"Let us flatter ourselves that I might outlive all of you." He would say with a smirk before turning to his morning paper. Fae knew that her father used humor to get them through difficult times. He was not the kind to show weakness of character, especially in front of his family.

That morning for breakfast, they had the usual traditional fare.  
Freshly baked yeast rolls, a fruit and cheese spread, hard boiled eggs, a joint of roast ham, and breakfast tea.  
Fae however only had a roll with a spoonful of clotted cream and preserves before she excused herself from the table.

She wanted to get ready to go into town that morning. Martha; one of the servants helped her dress.  
She had put on her stockings, and petticoat herself but she needed help with her gown, and the styling of her hair.

Martha made a lovely braid and pinned it up in a bun, but then left the beautiful blonde ringlets frame the front of her face.

She was putting on her ivory colored bonnet with light blue silk ribbon as she turned to Martha.  
"Thank you very much." She said before she picked up her small pouch filled with various coins.  
She was just about to make her way downstairs when her sister Linda turned to her.

"Where are you going?" She demanded.

"Shopshire; the new shipment of painting supplies come in today."

"I'm coming with you." She said in a tone that booked no room for argument.

Fae narrowed her eyes. "You hate going into Shopshire; what are you after?"

Linda rolled her eyes. "You think so ill of me; can't I have a genuine interest in going into town?"

Fae made no comment but her face spoke volumes. For one thing it said that she knew there was more than what Linda was telling, she would eventually find out so there was no point in trying to talk it out of her at present.

It was a pleasant two mile walk before they began to see the heavy activity of Shopshire.  
One thing that Fae noticed right away however was that there were many dashing young men in red uniforms. She looked over at her sister and saw the eager smile upon her face;_so that explained it._

"I will see you later!" Linda exclaimed as she ran into the direction of where a group of officers stood, as she walked, Fae saw how she had timed it perfectly so that her handkerchief fell on the floor.

She exclaimed loudly: "How clumsy of me" As one of the officer's bent down to retrieve it for her with a friendly smile upon his face.

Fae rolled her eyes and continued on to the art supply store.  
She climbed the few steps, her boots echoed loudly on the wood. At the sound of this, Mr. Wilkins looked up from his spectacles and graced her with a warm smile.

"Ah Miss D'meanon; I knew you'd come today!"

"Good Morning Mr. Wilkins. Of course I'm here; I never miss shipment day."

"I know, I know." He said as he came around. "But I figured that with the arrival of all those officers you'd be busy getting acquainted."

Fae waved her gloved hand in the air. "None of that Mr. Wilkins. Art is my comfort." She took a deep breath and looked around.

"So; show me what I'm about to spend my week's allowance on."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Fae carefully stepped down whilst holding a small crate full of her supplies.  
It was a lot to carry, and her family always said she should have the servants pick her supplies up but she wouldn't hear it.  
Women in society had few privileges they could enjoy; she would not allow them to the joy of selecting her purchases away from her.

She took her last step onto the dirt road when a man carrying a barrel at great speeds almost ran her over.  
She swerved to the side quickly to save herself from a foreseeable accident but in the process many of her supplies fell on the ground.  
She huffed angrily as the man didn't even stop or turn around to see if she had been injured.

"Don't worry; I'm fine!" She yelled angrily as she lifted her skirt and petticoat to pick up the items scattered on the ground.  
She was about to grab one of her brushes when a hand shot out and took it from her.

"I beg your pardon! That's.." She looked up and sucked in her breath when she saw what was probably most handsome man she had ever seen.  
A tall, handsome man in uniform with deep, grey eyes and dark hair; granted his hair was rather strange, and his ears had sharp points at the tip but it only made him seem more intriguing.

"Madam; allow me to help you retrieve your items."

"I.. thank you sir." She said as she continued to look at him in awe.

"Captain Solok; and you are?"

"I'm Fae D'meanon; a pleasure to meet you Captain."

"Of course it is; it's not everyday you greet a captain."

Fae blinked but said nothing.

"Who are these supplies for? If I might ask." He said as he held up one of the paint brushes.

"They are for me Captain; I take great pleasure in painting."

He raised a brow, and her lips parted slightly as she looked at him. The truth was that he was exceedingly handsome.

"A woman?" He scoffed as he put the brush back into the crate. "A womans place is to tend to her estate and assign house hold duties to the servants."

Fae's face became hard, her breathing became labored as she tried to control her anger. "Women are capable of much more then that."

"Yes of course they are." He replied."Their lot in life is to bear a mans child. I am not ignorant of their uses."

Fae laughed heartily. So much that she was drawing attention from various passerbyers. Captain Solok in turn gave her an odd look and slightly backed away from her.

"A question Captain. Are you yourself a married man?"

He blinked and seemed to think about it. "I am not."

She laughed again. "That explains a lot." She said as she yanked the paintbrush out of his hand. He lifted a brow at what she did.

"Thank you Captain Solok; as pleasant as it was meeting you, I must be on my way."

He stood up and watched her carry the crate and was about to retrieve it from her. "Allow me to carry your items on to your carriage."

"I didn't come to town in a carriage sir; I walked."

He stayed staring at her.  
"Then you live near?"

"About two miles; not far."

"You intend to walk two miles carrying that crate?"

"But of course Sir; it's not the first time I've done it."

"Do you not have servants?" He asked in a perplexed manner.

She rolled her eyes. "I really must be on my way." Show bowed in his direction. "Good day to you."

He bowed in turn and watched her walk up the road where a younger looking woman joined her and then they both walked off in the distance.  
He shook his head as he watched them. "Odd woman."

He then turned around and proceeded to the direction of his station.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

So how did it go?  
Lady D'meanon asked when her daughters arrived. She looked at the crate that Fae was carrying. "Ah; I should've known, and I'll wager you didn't meet any of the officers. You are 32 years of age Fae. You should have been married ages ago! Your sister Marianne is only sixteen and is already married; how does that do?"

"Mama, can we not do this today?" Fae said as she took off her bonnet.

"But she did meet an officer; a Captain as a matter of fact. I saw them talking." Linda said with a smirk on her face. "Do not worry mama; I'm sure we shall see him at the upcoming ball on Saturday. He will probably dance the night away with Fae for she is violently in love with him already."

"For heavens sake Linda! He is the most insufferable man I've ever met!" Fae shot at her sister.

"My dear, you say that about every man that you meet." Lady D'meanon replied. She then smiled broadly and held Fea's face in her small hands.

"Just think of it Fae. The wife of a Captain! The admiration you'll receive! Parties! Balls every night!"

"Don't forget about Capital mama; Captains are usually quite wealthy." Her sister Linda replied as she picked up her needlework and sat down.

"I do not care for such material things. I much rather stay home and paint." Fae said as she nodded.

Lady D'meanon rolled her eyes. "Spoken like a true spinster!" She wrapped her lace shawl tightly around her, raised her chin at Fae and walked away. Fae smirked in turn and picked up her crate to head out to her usual spot.

"He did seem intrigued by you though." Linda said as she lifted her thread and needle in the air.

"I would give it another opportunity; wait until Saturday to judge his true character."

Fae huffed. "Believe me Linda; come Saturday I will think even more ill of him as I do now."

She then turned and walked away. Linda smiled as she looked at her sister's retreating form. "We'll see."


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday was upon the D'meanon family.

Linda was running about the house in her petticoat and corset chasing after Martha to fetch her gloves while Lady D'meanon looked at herself in the mirror. The evenings were becoming cool so she wore her favorite lace shawl to cover her plunging neckline as was the style. She may have been an older woman but she was still incredibly attractive. Her dress was a lavender type color, between their society it meant that she was married or disinterested.  
Her daughters on the other hand wore white to signify that they were available although if you asked Fae about it; she would simply relate that she was fond of the color and nothing more.

Sir D'meanon on the other hand was not very fond of social events unless it was necessary to be present, he was to stay at home in his library sipping his wine and reading a good book.

Fae felt tempted to do the same but if she indeed chose that course of action, she would never hear the end of it from her mother.

"Come along girls!" Lady D'meanon directed as they mounted the carriage. The male servant closed the door once they were in and they were off.  
Fae looked out the small window and sighed loudly. The only real thing she had to look forward to was the food and perhaps joining the company of her friend and neighbor Christine.

Christine too was already on the brink of being considered a spinster as she had just turned 28 and was still unmarried.  
Fae thought it rather unfair that even though her family was very well off Christine was considered a burden to her family. She received even more pressure than herself in terms of finding a suitable husband. The problem lay in the fact that Somerset did not have many worthy eligible bachelors, for not just any man would do.

Upon arrival of the ball, Fae looked in awe at the wonderful spread of food that was laid out for the guests. Almost every kind of roast you could think imaginable was there. Beef, Wild game, ham; every good thing. There was even a separate table filled with nothing but desserts, pastries and various pots of tea.  
This night will not be such a waste after all. She thought to herself.

She looked up upon entering and spotted her friend Christine standing alone in the corner. She quickly joined her and kissed her on the cheek.  
"My dear Christine; how do you do this evening?"

"I am quite well Fae; I believe we will be in for a treat with regards to entertainment."  
She said as she looked around.

"Yes." Fae replied. "The officers."

They both looked around at the sea of red coats mingling about the room.

"They all seem to be quite popular except for maybe that gentleman there."

Fae looked up and saw that the officer in question was none other than Captain Solok.  
He was alone standing against the wall and observing the scene before him. It was obvious that he was not pleased about being there.

"Perhaps you should ask him to dance Fae." Christine joked as she covered her mouth with her gloved hand.

"You are mistaken Christine; I happened upon him in Shopshire the other day. He is the most disagreeable man I've ever met; his name is Captain Solok, and he thinks very ill of women in general."

As if knowing that we was being talked of; Captain Solok raised his stare at them, his piercing grey eyes looking into their very soul. Fae blushed and looked away, taking Christine by the hand and guiding her towards another direction of the room.

Captain Solok stared after them, lifting a glass of red wine, and taking a sip before heading towards another direction of the room as well.  
He felt a hand on his shoulder and realized it was Sir Chapeline; the father of Christine and owner of Chapeline lodge and property.  
He was a boisterous man who spoke far too loudly of his personal opinions. He wondered how such a man could've possibly been elevated into knighthood.

He looked around the room and took another sip of wine as his eyes searched the room while Sir Chapeline continued to talk, he paid absolutely no attention to what he was saying. His eyes then fell once again towards the woman he had met in Shopshire.  
She was wearing white which meant she was in search of a companion, and yet he had not seen her dancing or making small talk with the officers yet.

Sir Chapeline saw that he was looking at Fae and smirked before he dashed out towards her. He immediately took her by the gloved hand and practically dragged her towards Captain Solok.

"Captain; allow me to present to you a very desirable partner. I believe you two should dance, surely you cannot refuse when there is so much beauty before you."

Captain Solok looked at her briefly before looking ahead of him and replying: "I haven't the least intention of dancing."

Sir Chapeline's face dropped and was then replaced with an awkward smile.  
"Come, come, why not?! When you see everyone here enjoys the amusement of dancing!"

"Any savage can dance." The Captain replied.

That had been enough for Fae. She narrowed her eyes at him and pulled away from Sir Chapeline's hold.

"Usually it's the one's who lack ability to dance who make ill comments such as those." She bowed towards Sir Chapeline. "I beg you would excuse me Sir." She then sneered at the Captain without bothering to bow at him and walked away."

Captain Solok watched her return towards Christine; but a young man with teeth similar to that of a wild horse walked up to her; bowed and was apparently asking her to dance.  
She then looked up at him rather than the young man, scowled and then accepted the invitation.

He watched as Fae danced. To him she looked like an ill trained monkey jumping about, her hair bouncing behind her. Such useless entertainment; he had had enough.  
He placed his empty goblet of wine down before retreating the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Fae was quite relieved to see that the Captain was nowhere in sight. She and Christine tucked in to a meal of boiled potatoes loaded with butter, cream, and a variety of herbs, brussel sprouts with caramelized onions, and roast pheasant.  
Linda sat across from both Christine and Fae, a smirk playing on her lips as she unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap.

"I see that the Captain could not take his eyes off of you this evening." She said low enough of only them to hear.

"Perhaps, but he refused to stand up with me." Fae said as she sliced her brussel sprouts.

Linda blinked in shock. "That cannot be, surely a man of the world such as himself would partake in social activities."

"Fae says that he reffered to dancing as savage." Christine replied, she was serving herself some roast beef.

"Good riddance to him Fae; there are plenty of other officers here to go around." Linda said with a wink. As she said this, two officers stood from either side of her and asked to sit down.  
They all talked of where they were from, what they did during their travels and Fae found the evening to be enjoyable on a whole.  
Briefly she had looked to the side and had seen her mother with various women circling her as she was obviously informing them of the latest gossip.

Upon arrival of their home; Lady D'meanon insisted that her husband join them to get him up to speed. His norm was to show disinterest in any new happenings but the truth of the matter was that he always looked forward to hear of the latest news.  
Linda wasted no time in informing him of the event which included Captain Solok and Fae.  
He blinked in awe as he looked over at his eldest. "Slighted my Fae did he?"

She laughed at the look upon his face. "I didn't care for him either father so it's of little matter."

"Another time Fae; I shouldn't dance with him if he were to ask you." the mother said pointedly.

Fae laughed again. "I can safely promise never to dance with Captain Solok."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Back at the officer's station, Captain Solok sat with the other Senior officers. They were seated around a roaring fire and drinking more wine, except for Captain Solok who was drinking tea.

Colonel Foster raised his brows over at Captain Solok. "So none of the Somerset ladies could please you Captain?"

"They're far too boisterous for my taste." He replied before taking a sip of his tea.

"Not even the famous Miss D'meanons?" Colonel Foster insisted.  
"They're known as reputed beauties in this part of the country!"

Captain Solok looked at his cup as he replied in a neutral manner. "I should have soon called her mother a wit."

Everyone broke out in laughter, Colonel Foster in particular turning quite red in the face.  
"I must say Captain; that is too cruel."

Captain Solok shrugged. "I speak as I find sir; if you'll excuse me, I shall now retire for the night."

As Captain Solok left, he thought about how he had turned down the opportunity to dance with Miss D'meanon, and how she had looked at him. It was of no consequence however, he would forget about her soon enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Weyoun makes his appearance in the next chapter ;-)**

* * *

That morning at breakfast; Sir D'meanon brought out a letter he had received some time ago.

"I hope you have ordered a good dinner today my dear for I have reason to believe that we will have an addition to our family party."

Lady D'meanons eyes lit up. "Oh? Is it Colonel Foster?"

"The Chapelines?" Linda asked.

Sir D'meanon shook his head. "No, no, it is from my Cousin Mr. Vreenak. Who when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases."

"Prey do not mention that odious man! I think it the hardest thing in the world that your estate should be entailed away from your own poor children." Lady D'meanon huffed angrily.

"Nothing of course can clear Mr. Vreenak of the iniquitous crime of inheriting our estate but if you listen to his letter, you may be a bit soften by his manner of speaking."

Sir D'meanon put on his spectacles and began reading.

My Dear Sir;  
The strain and difficulties existing between yourself and my late father have always given me much uneasiness for he was a man that did not tolerate a fake character and since I have had the misfortune to lose him; I wish to heal the breech for I myself am not fake.

My mind on the subject is made up however for having received  
my inheritance that exceeds the salary most individuals make in a lifetime; I feel it necessary to settle down properly by taking a wife.  
I assure you my good sir that this letter is not a fake, and I have the best intentions at heart.

I wish to enter the acquaintance of your charming daughters Saturday next, where I shall take a hired carriage from Huntsford, onto Romley, and god willing; I shall be at your residence by four in the afternoon.

With Sincerest regards,  
Mr. Vreenak "

Everyone stayed staring at Sir D'meanon in a strange manner. Fae was the first one to speak after several moments of silence.

"His manner of speaking is umm.. Do you find him a sensible man father?"

"Oh my dear! I expect to find him the reverse!" He replied.

Lady D'meanon however lifted her hands and shook them excitedly.

"Who cares?! He's obviously willing to make you girls ammends, I certainly shall not discourage him to do so."  
She smiled as she lifted her hands towards Fae.

"My dear Fae! Your spinster streak shall finally be broken!"

Her eyes grew wide. "Me?! Why me and not Linda?"

Linda giggled. "Because he probably doesn't have regimentals; I think a man looks nothing without regimentals."

"My dear Fae." The mother began. "He might be frightfully good looking; give it a chance and get to know him."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Mr. Vreenak arrived exactly when he said he would. They all stood outside as the carriage approached, all of them eager to see what he looked like.  
While he was stepping down from the carriage, his foot slipped on the edge of the step causing him to fall unceremoniously on the floor. Since he was wearing all black, to Fae he appeared like a bug with it's wings spread apart, she tried desperately not to laugh as they all circled him to make sure he was alright.

He tried to brush it off as if nothing had happened and gave them all a cocky smile.

"Good evening; I am Mr. Vreenak." He said as he tipped his black top hat to the parents. His eyes then immediately fell upon Fae and he quickly reached for her hand. His in turn was clammy and cold, Fae had a hard time suppressing her distaste.

"My fair cousin." He said as he gave her hand a long, and very wet kiss; she could swear she had felt his tongue at one point. He looked up into her eyes and smiled. "You are uniformaly charming."

She smiled awkwardly. "Thank you Mr. Vreenak; it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

He didn't even look at Linda and quickly began to order the servants to take down his luggage. Linda gave Fae a wide eye look, and then turned into the house, there was probably a multitude of things she would rather be doing.

At dinner, Mr. Vreenak sat across from Fae. Every now and then he would grace her with smoldering looks of desire to which Fae had to suppress the desire to laugh out loud at. At one point when he was speaking of how women were always chasing after him; she could not suppress it and began to make a sound that was a mixture of laughter and coughing, in the end it was an outright coughing fit and one of the servants had to serve her water and make sure she was alright.

"I'm fine." She assured everyone. "Water just went down the wrong way; please forgive me."

"Forgiveness is not necessary for there was never any offense taken." Mr. Vreenak said with a wink and a smirk.

Lady D'meanon looked at the two of them with much delight. Finally her eldest daughter would be married and settled, things were turning out very well indeed.

After dinner, they were all forced to join him in the sitting area where he read from a large manuscript.  
It was a series of Limericks focused on the evils of being fake.  
Apparently nothing but brimstone and torture awaited them, it made Fae feel extremely uncomfortable and she made an excuse that she had to be excused to check up on her sister who had somehow managed to escape at some point during the reading.

At the sight of her starting to leave however; Mr. Vreenak closed the manuscript abruptly and stood from his chair.  
"I was nearly finished anyway." He said.

Sir D'meanon looked over at his wife and mouthed the words: "Thank God!"

"I shall help you look for her." Mr. Vreenak said as he joined Fae.

"Really, that is not necessary." Fae began, her eyes pleading for him to go away.

"I insist for I am a gentleman!" He began as he walked ahead of her.

Fae rolled her eyes and turned to follow Mr. Vreenak who somehow ended up outside in the gardens.

"Mr. Vreenak Sir; I really do not believe her to be out here at this time of night."

He didn't answer her however. His pace slowed as he looked up at the night sky.  
"Look at that pale moonlight; it is breath taking."

Fae smiled a bit. "Yes it is Mr. Vreenak."

"Just Vreenak, but only because it is you my dearest cousin."  
Fae tried to suppress yet another laugh; he was really testing her abilities.

"I dream of children." He continued.

Her eyes shot wide; where on Earth did that come from?

"Many children, when I marry; my wife will bear me many children." He then turned to her. "Do you not wish to have children?" He was looking at her mid-section as if picturing what she would look like if she were pregnant.

"U.. err.. I.. Yes, but..."

"Excellent!" He declared as he walked closer to her. His hand gently grazed her face and she couldn't help but pull away from him slightly. He was looking into her eyes and she shuddered, but not in a good way; he however mistook it for disquieted passion.

"My love is not fake." He whispered before he backed away from her.

"Come; it is chilly out here; you might catch cold."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The following day had been quite the adventure.

Mr. Vreenak, Linda, and Fae went walking into Shopshire. It was the day that the new inventory for bonnet's would come in.

"Come my dear; I shall buy you a bonnet." He said to Fae even though Linda was standing right next to her, Linda smiled and walked ahead of them, making sure she was a good distance away from them.

Fae need not make conversation during the journey for Mr. Vreenak had much to say about all his accomplishments, she wondered if the man ever drew breath.  
Fae had to control herself from kissing the ground once they had arrived into town. She hurriedly walked into the direction of the accessories store.

"Good morning Mr. Jenkins!"

"Good morning Linda, Fae, last months bonnets are on sale."

Mr. Vreenak smiled at the news. "Ah, let us take a look at those then." But when he saw the price tag, his smile fell. "They consider this a sale?"

"Mr Vreenak; it is not necessary for you to buy me a bonnet."

"No, no," he said as he checked out yet another bonnet but quickly put it down when he saw the price of that one as well. "I am man of my word; I will get you a bonnet today."

Fae was looking at some gloves so intently that she didn't even notice when she walked right into someone. All she saw was red and knew immediately that it was probably an officer.

"My goodness; please forgive me I…" She looked up and saw that it was Captain Solok.

"Captain Solok?"

He lifted a brow. "Who else?"

She huffed angrily and was about to walk away but Vreenak showed up at that moment. "Look I found one that is suitable and at a very agreeable price.

Fae blinked at the atrocity he was holding. It had to be the ugliest bonnet she had ever seen in her lifetime; she wouldn't be caught dead wearing such a garment in public.

"And who is your friend?" Captain Solok asked with a smirk.

She sighed loudly.

"Captain Solok, this is my cousin Mr. Vreenak."  
They bowed towards one another but eyed each other curiously.

"Do you plan to stay long in Somerset Mr. Vreenak?" Solok asked. Fae wondered why he was being so amiable all of the sudden.

"I do not know at present. It would all depend on certain…" He then looked up at Fae and gave her one of his smoldering looks. "Developments.." He finished with a hiss.

"I see." Captain Solok replied. Fae wanted to slap the smug look off of his face.

"I shant keep you from your outing then; good day."

He walked away but as he did, Fae seemed deep in thought. What was Captain Solok doing in a womens accessory store in the first place? She looked out the window as he walked by with his hands behind his back. He had not purchased anything; it had all been very strange.


	4. Chapter 4

Breakfast that morning had proven to be quite entertaining.

Mr. Vreenak it seems had a tendency to be quite loud in his expression of approval towards food.

He filled his plate with everything on the table and would continuously make "Mmh" grunts after he placed a food item into his mouth. It was driving Fae crazy. She looked up at her father who simply shrugged as he wiped the corners of his mouth.  
Luckily one of the servants walked in and bowed before declaring:

"Miss Christine is here for you Miss Fae."

Fae wiped her mouth and almost tripped over her dress she was so eager to leave the table. Mr. Vreenak hadn't even noticed that she left as he was inhaling part of a shooters sandwich.  
A wonderful confection where beef is placed in the center of the bread and then pressed for long periods of time so the juices amalgamate. The name was given of course because it is a common food item that hunters take with them to go shooting.

"You saved me!" Fae exclaimed as she hugged her friend. She looked at her curiously. "From what Fae?"

"From Mr. Vreenak! Insufferable man!" Christine laughed. "But Fae, you say that about everyone."

"No, no Christine, you don't understand; just wait until you meet him."

Christine looked to the sides, "Where is he?"

"Gorging himself. Come on; let us go outside." Fae began.

"Well, I do wish to go to Shopshire. My favorite pair of stocking broke while I was trying to put them on this morning you see."

"Even better!" Fae said happily. A few hours of Mr. Vreenak's absence was very welcome to her. He was becoming quite overbearing.

They had just barely turned up the dirt path when they heard footsteps, Fae's eyes grew wide dreading that it was Mr. Vreenak but then she felt a playful tap on her bonnet and saw that it was only Linda.

"Did you think you could escape without me? There is no possible way I am going to be left in the company of that man!"

"What are you talking of Linda, he doesn't even look at you." Fae replied.

"I know that! I would like to keep it that way!" Linda exclaimed.

They arrived at Shopshire and walked past a shop that sold house hold items like drapes. They hung from the windows in a display case, one in particular caught their eye and Linda giggled as she said:

"Look at that hideous cloth Fae; looks like the bonnett Mr. Vreenak bought for you. It would do very well in your room."  
Fae was about to answer when she looked across the way and froze completely. There amongst other officers was an extremely dashing looking man dressed plainly.

Normally Fae did not pay attention to them, and it had come to the point where they all looked alike to her with the exclusion of Captain Solok who was just plain disagreeable.  
This man however was different.

Linda ran towards the group to her shock and she suddenly felt very nervous.  
Christine looked at the group of men and then back at Fae before smiling, she then took her by the hand and guided her to where her sister had gone.

"This is my sister Fae, and our neighbor Miss Christine Chapeline." Linda said to the officers. They all bowed and the man that Fae had not been able to take her eyes off looked at her with twinkling eyes.

"I am Mr. Weyoun, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you Miss Fae."

She could feel herself blushing and she tried her hardest not to stammer in front of him.. "Tis.. pleasure." she finally ground out nervously.

"Shall we all take a walk together?" Linda suggested, they all paired up into couples, to Fae's horror and delight, Weyoun stayed by her side as they walked up the road.

"So, Mr. Weyoun; what brings you here to Somerset? Have you taken a commission in Captain Solok's division?"

"No, although I will be working closely with them I believe. I have leased a small space here in Shopshire to open up a store that will cater to the needs of our officers. I feel it important that they be well equipped since they all serve our wondrous country. We all must serve in any way that we can."

His manners were simple and obliging, she liked him immediately. His eyes held a mysterious and captivating sparkle. She was still trying to figure out if they were blue, grey, or violet. His hair was a bit odd being slightly puffy on top and his ears were unlike anything she had ever seen before but pointing these details out in her mind didn't cease the thumping of her heart.

He had a gorgeous smile as he spoke, and she hoped that they would become friends.  
Linda was talking to one of the officers but every now and then she'd look back at her sister and smile.

Finally when they were about to part ways Linda invited them all to an evening of dinner at her Aunt's house.

"Are you sure? Mr. Weyoun asked. I have not been invited by your Aunt herself."

Linda waved him off.

"Nobody cares about that sort of thing now in days. It'll only be supper and cards but we shall have some laughs." She began.  
They were still in the midst of conversation when Captain Solok approached riding a very fine looking horse. Upon seeing Fae within the crowd and Mr. Vreenak absent; he looked as if he was about to dismount, that was until Weyoun turned around and looked at him.

Weyoun smiled awkwardly but still tipped his top hat towards him. Solok in turn looked shocked and surprised, and then immediately positioned himself back on the horse and kept riding off.

Fae looked at them both but then at poor Mr. Weyoun who looked as if he had just been crushed. Her heart went out to him and her feelings of disdain towards Captain Solok only increased by his actions.

In no time however Mr. Weyoun was smiling again, but what Fae was most glad of was that he had accepted the invitation for dinner that night.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Such a variety of social course!" Mr. Vreenak exclaimed as he looked around Mrs. Dashwood's home.

Fae blinked and tried not to laugh from the look on Linda's face. It was obvious that Mr. Vreenak was not often invited to gatherings.

Everywhere Fae went he followed and it wasn't long before others at the gathering were whispering amongst themselves saying things like: "There is likely to be an engagement soon." and "Marriage on the horizon."

Mrs. Dashwood could see the obvious frustration on Fae's countenance and walked over to Mr. Vreenak.

"Mr. Vreenak. Would you oblige me and play a game of hearts?"

He seemed pleased and shocked at the invitation. "I must confess I know very little of the game madam, but I shall be happy to oblige you if my fair cousin would consent to it." As he said this he gave her a smoldering look, it took all her patience to not roll her eyes at him.

"With all my heart sir."

He bowed and followed Mrs. Dashwood to one of the card tables. Linda was making quite the scene over at her table; it was obvious that she was winning, she had always been very good at playing cards.

Finally Fae had a chance to look about the house, a look of disappointment crossed her features when she realized that Weyoun was not present.

She sat down to enjoy her cup of tea when someone sat down across from her. Her features softened when she realized that Weyoun had finally arrived.

"Oh; it is good to see you sir." Fae said happily.

He smiled. "You do look lovely this evening Miss D'meanon. The color blue is very becoming on you."

What Mr. Weyoun didn't know was that Fae had taken some extra time to get ready for the evening. She wore her sheer stockings, and actually bothered putting on a corset which she usually would forgo, it tucked in her tummy and brought out her large breasts magnificently.

"So; I see that almost all of the officers are here, Captain Solok seems to be one of those missing if I may be so bold is saying so."

Fae rolled her eyes. "I think coming to a gathering such as this would be beneath his dignity."

"Oh really?" Weyoun asked with wide eyes.

Fae nodded. "He's not at all liked in Somerset. Everyone is disgusted with his pride."

Weyoun nodded. "I myself have reason to share in that sentiment for he has done me great wrong." He sighed as he bowed his head. "Captain Solok you see and I once served together."

Fae covered her mouth with her gloved hand as she gasped.

"Yes, you're shocked but its true; I was once an officer myself. Dedicated to serve and protect, I had the admiration from my peers and I always gave 110%. I was on the rise, guaranteed to be promoted from my current status at the time, but he was envious of me Miss D'meanon. So much that he staged a farce whence result had me terminated from the militia."

Her eyes went wide. "My goodness! I always thought him disagreeable but to stoop so low as to do something like this! He deserves to be publicly disgraced!"

Mr. Weyoun nodded. "Someday he will be but not by me. I have a strong ethical code Miss D'meanon to not pay unto others as they do to you. Someday justice will be served, and even then I shall be there to help him in any way possible."

Fae's heart swelled at his words. Was it possible that such a kind hearted, attractive man existed?

"My situation is not so dire. At present I have every cause for cheer. I can't bear to be idle, and my current employment keeps me quite busy. In a sense I am still helping the militia by tending to their needs with supplies from my shop. See? So I forbid you to feel sorry for me."

At that moment Linda passed by and looked at them both before asking: "Fae? Why should you feel sorry for Mr. Weyoun?"

Her eyes went wide, she didn't know what to reply. Mr. Weyoun however smiled brightly as he replied. "Because my dear; I have not had a dance these three months together."

"Oh my!" She exclaimed, than you shall have one now." She said as she dragged him to the living area where there was dancing going on.

The rest of the night Fae and Mr. Weyoun exchanged many loving glances, this was possible despite the fact that Mr. Vreenak was chasing after her at every turn. At one point Christine had asked to be introduced to Mr. Vreenak, she had had an odd look to her when they met, but Mr. Vreenak had been too focused on Fae to notice anything.

On the whole it had been a very entertaining night and before Fae fell into a deep slumber, she imagined what it would be like to be married to Mr. Weyoun, to be at his side and help tend to his shop. To have meals together and dare she imagine; have his children. She giggled like a school girl and kicked her feet excitedly as she hugged her pillow tightly for she had never met a man who made her feel in that manner.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Girls! Girls! We've been invited to a ball given for the militia by Mr. Grover!" Lady D'meanon exclaimed.

Linda clapped happily. "Oh good! I love a ball!"

Lady D'meanon checked the invitee list before smiling over to Mr. Vreenak. "The invitation includes you as well Mr. Vreenak."

He pointed towards himself as if in shock. "I knew this would happen; I come to town and all of the sudden the invitations are flowing in!"  
Sir D'meanon looked up from his newspaper rolled his eyes over at Fae and then immersed himself to his paper again.

For the first time Fae was genuinely nervous about going to the ball. There would be a lot of eligible young women there, and she did not know what she would do if she found Mr. Weyoun's attentions favored by another woman.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am very aware of the fact that the song used in this chapter was probably not yet in existence during this time period, but I had to add in there.****  
**

**And for that 1 person who's actually reading this story; You're going to have many, many, many, many, many, many... Many babies, so hang in there and be patient :-)**

* * *

The night of the ball finally arrived and Fae had never been more excited.

She had gone into town and picked out a variety of decorative white flowers to place in her hair, and instead of wearing the tradition white gown she opted to wear a pale pink gown, white gloves and a tasteful necklace.

The color would allow for others to know that she was not necessarily looking for a marriage partner; she was already interested in someone.

Once Mr. Vreenak saw her; his grin grew from ear to ear for he was certain that she had placed that gown on to publicly announce her feelings for him. In his mind it wouldn't be long at all before he'd finally claim her as his at the altar.  
His mind raced with images of a very pregnant Fae sitting upon a rocking chair, knitting away with three other young males running about. They would have at least 14 in total, maybe more depending on the costs they would adhere and they would all be strapping boys that looked identical to him.  
He'd train them with discipline and sincerity, but above all it was important for them to not be fake of character.  
Fae would tend to their education; she was capable of it he was sure, that way it would be unnecessary to spend money on a governess. He was seriously contemplating letting go some of his servants as well since he was sure Fae would probably be able undertake the cooking, washing his clothes, mending and patching up his trousers from the many years of use and cleaning around the house as well. It would mean tremendous profit on his end. Yes; she would make a marvelous wife for sure.

As soon as they arrived at the ball, Fae walked about in search of Mr. Weyoun. She had a look upon her features of eager anticipation and delight.  
Fae must've circled the entire estate at least three times when she finally considered the fact that Mr. Weyoun might not be present.

To confirm this her sister Linda came up to her with a pitiable looking as she told her:

"He's not coming Fae, all due to him."  
Fae looked at the direction in which her sister was staring at and found that Captain Solok was looking directly at her. Their eyes locked for a moment before Fae looked away angrily.  
Captain Solok however continued to look at her through his glass of wine; he smirked a bit at her attire before turning away in another direction.

Luckily Christine Chapeline arrived in a VERY white gown and looking very much like a Grecian goddess. Fae was able to vent her disappointment to her dearest friend.

"I'm sure he wanted to be here Fae; sometimes we cannot help these things." Christine tried to console her, but it only served to make Fae angrier. Captain Solok had ruined everything, this could have been the night Weyoun might've asked for her hand, those chances were ruined now, which also meant that people would most definitely think that her reason for dressing up as she was for Mr. Vreenak.

He made his way over dressed in his finest cockroach attire. Black leggings, robe, cape, shoes and high collar. A few people had already offered him condolences for his loss to which he answered in a passionate tirade of how his color preference was due to his not being fake.  
Fae braced herself for he had threatened her with dancing the night away. To her surprise however Christine stepped in front of her and most boldly took hold of his hand. His eyes grew wide at her audacity, but she only smiled in turn before saying:

"I admire a man who knows his mind Mr. Vreenak. I especially admire one who is not fake for you see; I am not either. Please do me the honor of dancing with me."

He did not know how to reply. Even though his eyes were only for Fae, he could not deny that Christine's words had moved him deeply.

They were dancing now and he looked at her curiously, she was giving him an odd look and then he understood that she wanted him as a prospective mate.  
"Miss Chapeline." He said breathlessly during the dance.

"I am not sure I can oblige your wishes. I have an understanding with your friend Fae D'meanon; we are practically engaged."

He thought this for sure would disappoint her, but she only smiled brightly before replying. "I do love a good bargain don't you Mr. Vreenak?"

"Well of course! Who doesn't?" He replied despite not knowing where she was going with her line of conversation.

She smiled yet again. "Especially if you are able to find a woman who can tend to all your wishes and reach the highest economic value as well? I seek a male who wishes these qualities in a female."

This had him stop completely as he looked deep into Christine's bright blue eyes; how had he not noticed how beautiful they were before? He looked at her further and realized she was indeed incredibly attractive, even more so than… She leaned forward as her gloved hand traveled gently down the side of his face, he unconsciously leaned against it. These actions caused a thrilling sensation to run down his spine, and he found himself in quite the predicament.

"If things do not work out with her; I will be waiting Mr. Vreenak." She gave him one last caress before walking away.  
Mr. Vreenak swallowed hard and walked away; as a man of sincerity he had to think things through in his mind given the new developments.

Fae was conversing eagerly with some of the officers when Captain Solok approached her, the other officers looked at him and instantly their smiles died away before they bowed and walked to another area. Fae sighed heavily realizing she was trapped and forced to talk to him; precisely what she swore she would not do.

"Would you do me the honor of dancing the next with me Miss D'meanon?"

She smirked. "Any savage can dance Captain Solok."

He raised a brow and cleared his throat. "I do not wish to dance with any savage; I wish it to be you." and before she could answer, he took two fingers and pressed them gently against her lips. The electrifying and erotic pulse took her so off guard that all she could do was stare at him wide-eyed and try her hardest not to moan out loud, his touch had sent sensation all throughout her body and ultimately ending at her core; she had never before experienced it.

"I'll take that as a yes then." He said with a victorious smirk before walking away again.

The song ended and he quickly came for her, but she narrowed her eyes at him in turn.  
A deal was a deal and she had to dance with him, otherwise it would be she who looked badly in front of everyone, and it was after all just one dance, what harm could it do?

When the dance commenced however, she found that she felt extremely uncomfortable being the subject of his scrutiny. He stared at her as if trying to peer into her soul. She could feel his fingers trying to move away from her gloved area and touch her skin, it was an extremely odd, but sensual feeling that frankly left her at a complete loss with regards to this man.

"I believe we must have some conversation Captain Solok." She tried to say cooly to distract herself from the feelings he was bringing about from her.

"You should talk about the dance perhaps. A remarkable number of savages dancing."

He couldn't help but give way to a small smile at her comment. "You talk by rule then when you are dancing?"

"Yes, sometimes it is best! In that way you we might feel the advantages of not speaking to one another at all."

He raised a brow at that. "Do you consult your own feelings in this matter or seek to gratify mine?"

She shrugged. "Both I imagine."

There was a long moment of silence during the dance in which she didn't look up at him, he found that he did not like this at all so despite himself he searched for conversation.

"Are you often walking towards Shopshire?"

She nodded. "Yes; quite often actually. When you met us the other day we were just forming a new acquaintance." She ended with a knowing smirk. Captain Solok however remained completely impassive.

"Mr. Weyoun is the happy man of making new friends, but his ability to keep them is less so."

"He's been unfortunate as to lose your friendship and is likely to suffer for all his life." She said in a mocking tone. He looked up at her and confirmed this was true.  
Thankfully the song ended and he suddenly wished that he had not asked her to dance at all.

"I wish Miss D'meanon that you would not try to sketch my character at present. I fear it would not credit either one of us."

She stayed staring into his grey eyes and defiantly lifted her chin at him. "If I do not take your likeness now; I may never have another opportunity."

He shook his head and then bowed quickly after he said: "I would never suspend any pleasure of yours."  
She watched him leave and rolled her eyes.

"Insufferable man!" She growled as she stood next to Christine.

"He pays you a tremendous compliment in singling you out Fae. Think of what you're doing. It would be foolish indeed to slight a man who is ten times Mr. Weyoun's consequence."

Fae couldn't believe what her friend was saying, all she could manage was to look at her before excusing herself to sit down to dinner where her family was.

Mr. Grover stood up to thank everyone for being present at his ball, he then encouraged someone in the audience to please him with an air of music. Fae wondered who was the poor soul that would befall such a task so you could very well imagine her complete horror when she saw Mr. Vreenak stand up tall and make his way towards the piano forte with his black cape billowing behind him.

"My father taught me this piece, it's about not being fake." He began.

Fae sat with her mouth agape, her head shot towards Captain Solok who merely had a grin of amusement on his face as he looked back at Fae tauntingly.

After a few chords (many of them played badly) Mr. Vreenak began to sing.

"Swing lo  
Sweet Chariot  
Coming for to carry me home.

I look over Jordan and what did I see  
A lake, that's not fake.

Swing lo  
Sweet Chariot  
Coming for to carry me home.

If I get there before you do  
It's because I'm not fake  
Take it with a rake  
It's better than cake  
for heavens sake  
Swing Loooooooooooooooo."

In mid sentence of his song Sir D'meanon got up applauding loudly as he walked over to Mr. Vreenak.

"Good to see we have so much talent in the room!" He said loudly before bending over and whispering into Mr. Vreenaks ear.

"Let others have time to exhibit, preferably the single ladies, who are in want of a husband Mr. Vreenak." He then gave Mr. Vreenak a stern look who swallowed hard before rising out of the piano bench.

As Mr. Vreenak walked back sheepishly over to his chair, he looked up at Christine who graced him with a happy wink. At the sight of this he perked up considerably before sitting down again.  
Fae looked away from him having never felt so humiliated in all her life; there was no way on Earth that any sane woman could ever marry such a man.


	6. Chapter 6

It was of great relief to Fae that the following day she hardly saw anything of Mr. Vreenak.

She didn't even think it odd that he had left and not said anything about where he had been. The day after he was gone as well. Lady D'meanon was about to inquire after him when Linda came running through the front door and up the steps to the sitting room.

"My dear!" lady D'meanon exclaimed: "You are about to have a fit! Calm down girl!"

"I just.. I.. Fae.. Mr.. I…" She finally collapsed on the chair next to the fire place until she was able to catch her breath. Fae's father actually pulled down his newspaper and was awaiting the news, which he hardly ever did.

"Fae! Mr. Vreenak has offered a proposal of marriage to Christine Chapeline, and she's accepted him!"

Fae's mouth opened wide in shock. "Christine?! And Mr. Vreenak?" Her face suddenly became stern as she suddenly spat out. "impossible!"

She didn't even wait to see what her parents had to say on the subject, she immediately marched out of the house and went to see Christine for herself.  
She normally always came in through the back of the house passing by the gardens and usually she'd see the gardeners tending to the plants or Sir Chapeline taking a turn but what she was not expecting was to see Mr. Vreenak and her dearest friend of many years laying on the grass, pressed against each other like rabbits in heat ardently tongue kissing.

When they saw her they abruptly parted, Christine struggling to get up and Mr. Vreenak attempting to hide the reaction Christine had brought about from their activities.

Fae crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot angrily. "We need to talk." She said as seriously as she could manage to her friend.  
Mr. Vreenak however came over and tried to rectify the situation.

"My dear cousin, I know what this must look like but I can surely explain. You see.."

"You sir have absolutely nothing to say to me at this moment. You have disgraced the name that befalls upon a gentleman for a multitude of reasons; I have no desire to see you now or at any time." She said as she stepped far away from him.

He gasped loudly, his face falling in shame. "So you were in love with me! Oh I did not mean to break your heart my dearest cousin!" he tried to hug her but she backed away from him and looked towards an ashamed Christine.

"We need to talk, right now."  
Fae said before she walked over towards the trees and the bushes, away from a mumbling Vreenak.

"Fae; the only reason I allowed for things to escalate was because you had said on various occasions that you didn't like him, that you detested him and let us not forget that I am 28 years old! I am in need of a husband badly; you and I both know this to be true! I'm already a burden to my parents and he is the one that is going to free me from all that!"

Fae ran her hands through her face, maybe rubbing her skin would allow for some sense in all this to sink in.  
"Christine; he is the most ridiculous man in all of England, if not all of Earth; how could you possibly see him as a perspective mate?"

Christine scoffed. "Oh, I see how it is. You think that because he was not able to secure your good opinion that he will not be able to succeed with anyone else? That your seal of disapproval means he is unfit to be a good husband towards any respectable female."

"Christine! I beg you not to make me the enemy in this; you know perfectly well that is not what I meant!"

Christine stayed staring at Fae for a moment. She took a couple of deep breaths and calmed down. "I see what you're feeling Fae. You know that I've never been the romantic type, yet something happened when I met Mr. Vreenak that had never occurred to me before. Then the night of the ball when he played that marvelous song before being so rudely escorted off the piano forte by your father!"

"He was being ridiculous!" Fae shouted.

"He was brilliant! I believe in his same principles and he has offered me a comfortable home, and a life that I have only dared to dream of before because you know very well that the only men that ever appear in Somerset are already married, or cheats from the city trying to escape their sentence. This is my chance Fae; I do not wish for Mr. Vreenak to come between us!"

Fae didn't need to ask. She knew that if she asked Christine to make a choice, she'd end their years of friendship over him.  
The truth was that Fae didn't understand at all the thought process of Christine. She didn't understand how she was considered a burden to her parents, and she didn't understand how anyone could ever think that Mr. Vreenak's style of singing could be considered marvelous. She also had to admit that it was incredibly disturbing to look at Christine's swollen lips and disheveled hair knowing what had caused it, the thought made her cringe with disgust.

At last Fae dipped her head. "You are my dearest friend Christine and I will not judge you in this matter. While I have to admit that I may not understand certain things about this; you can be assured that I in no way oppose it. I wish you every happiness in the world"

Christine laughed before she embraced her friend as hard as she could. Again Fae was somewhat discomfited for she could smell Mr. Vreenak's horrible essence all over her.

"I believe I'm going to be very happy Fae." Christine said with a large smile.

* * *

"I cannot believe it Linda!" Fae exclaimed when she got back. She was not going to stay in the house; she needed to burn off her frustration and was already fetching her bonnet to head into town. The two mile walk would do her good.

"She knows she's marrying the stupidest man in all of England!" Fae exclaimed angrily.

Linda shook her head. "Not everyone has the same situation and temper Fae."

"You would never marry a man like that yourself!" Fae replied.

"I wouldn't but not everyone is the same." Linda replied. "Can't you just accept the fact that maybe Christine and Mr. Vreenak found in each other what they had been seeking all along?" Linda smiled as she tenderly placed her hand over Fae's shoulder. "Be there for her as a friend, that is all you can do at this point."

Fae said nothing. She gathered her coin pouch and headed out the door towards Shopshire. Her mind was spinning with the news to such a degree that she screamed out in fright when she felt a hand grab hold of her shoulder.  
She turned around and grasped her chest and sighed a breath of relief when she realized it was only Mr. Weyoun.

"Miss D'meanon. I saw you from the store and was calling out to you but I guess you didn't hear me. You seem out of sorts are you alright?"

"Oh I.. I'm fine sir. I just.. I've received a bit of news that is still not sinking in at present."

"Oh? And might I inquire as to what this news is?" She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him but what harm could it do? By this time tomorrow everyone in Somerset would know of the engagement. Word traveled fast in the country.  
She was about to tell him but he motioned for them to walk inside his shop. They went round the back where he had a small kitchenette. He began putting some water in a kettle before lighting a match on his wood stove and placing the kettle over it. He graced her with a brilliant smile as he said. "Seems as if something of this nature calls for tea."  
She smiled back as she was reminded of his considerate nature and charm. She could very well fall for him indeed.

* * *

It had been good to vent her feelings out to Mr. Weyoun. He had been more than understanding about her situation. When she had asked about why he had not gone to the ball it was as she had thought. He thought that meeting with Captain Solok would arise too much unpleasantness.

As predicted, by the following day everyone knew of the engagement and Fae's mother was sure to make the most of it by nagging at Fae at every turn.

"You should've been more affectionate towards him! He was interested in you!"

"But I was not interested in him mama."

"Who cares? He will have this house when your father is dead and he will turn us out to starve! What will we do then hmm?"

Fae remained in her room whenever possible. One afternoon Christine had come by to discuss the wedding details and Fae had not really said much to her. The fact was that Fae began to realize that she did not feel the same towards Christine anymore.  
It had dawned on her that Christine never actually asked Fae if she did indeed had any romantic feelings towards Mr. Vreenak. To her it seemed that there had been an air of maliciousness that had deliberately come from Christine, something she did not know she was capable of possessing and it made her question where they stood friendship wise even though she would never verbally voice it.

Fae however did not really need to say anything. It was obvious to Christine that Fae was different with her, and to some degree she could not blame her. Fae was probably going to end up an old spinster, not because she lacked beauty, but because she was just too picky and women did not have that kind of luxury; you took what you could get if you were going to survive.

"Fae, you must come and visit me when I move to Huntsford. I believe it's very likely that I may not leave there for some time. I shall depend very much on hearing from you often."

Fae gave her a small smile. "I would be very happy to visit you once you're settled." Fae found that she didn't really mean it, but she felt it was due to her to come to her friend's aide simply to prove that she was not going to allow this situation to change her life; she would be the better person in this whole ordeal.

A week had gone by, and whenever Fae did not visit Shopshire for a while, she'd receive a letter from Mr. Weyoun to which she would either happily respond to in person or if weather didn't permit it she'd simply write back.  
On one occasion he joined them for afternoon tea and to her extremely delight she found that her mother actually took a liking to Mr. Weyoun, so much that she actually invited him for the dinner the following night.

Fae was getting ready with eager anticipating. Only fifteen more minutes till he was to arrive, and while her stomach was a maddening flurry, she could not stop herself from smiling.  
She was just fixing her light make up when there was a knock on the door, she smiled brightly as she made her way down the hall, expecting to him but instead it was a horseman with a note. Her father read it aloud:

"Sir and Lady D'meanon,

It grieves me to have to relay this message but I will be unable to attend your dinner tonight. Circumstances at the shop concerning the militia will not permit me to close at a timely hour. I will be assisting Captain Solok as are his orders. Please forgive the short notice and I hope we will be able to reschedule in the future.

Your devoted and humble friend;

Mr. Weyoun"

Fae was furious! She stomped her foot on the ground and leaned against the wall as she angrily cried out. "This is all Captain Solok's fault!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Pssst... Lurker.. yeah you.. Stop giggling; pay attention!... I wrote another chapter.. Shhhhhh...**

* * *

The following day Fae went into town.

She wanted to see Mr. Weyoun personally and hear what had happened, she knew that it could not have been good given his sudden decline to join her family for dinner. She was peering into his shop window having been caught off guard at the closed door and the sign stating that the shop was closed until further notice.  
A feeling of dread commenced at the pit of her stomach and traveled throughout her body in an uncomfortable, tingling sensation that allowed her to know that something had gone terribly wrong.

She was still peering inside the darkened room through the window when the sound of crunching pebbles caught her offguard. She looked up startled at the face of the least person she wanted to see.

"You!" She sneered accusingly. "What have you done to poor Mr. Weyoun?"

Captain Solok however remained completely neutral with his hands behind his back.

"I did nothing madam. Mr. Weyoun has left town, it is not certain if he will return."

Fae gasped and swallowed hard, she fought the tears that were forming in her eyes. The intensity of the anger she felt at Captain Solok was evident.

"You drove him away didn't you?" It wasn't so much a question as it was an accusation Captain Solok however did not seem effected by this at all, it was as if he were expecting this reaction from her.

"I believe you are misinformed with regards to Mr. Weyoun's character Miss D'meanon. If you would accompany me for a brief walk, I would give you my side of the story."

But she didn't want to hear Captain's Solok side. She was already convinced in her mind that he must've done something horrible to Mr. Weyoun, her heart couldn't bear the thought.  
Captain Solok could see her hesitance and began speaking automatically before she could walk away from him.

"Mr. Weyoun was a very respectable man when he first joined the militia Miss D'meanon. He worked long, grueling hours for the sake of our great country. I admired him greatly and we formed a strong acquaintance."

He shuffled his feet slightly as he looked down towards his boots.

"You could even say that he became my greatest friend."

Fae looked up at him in complete shock. She didn't think it possible that Captain Solok was capable of having friends, and it seemed odd that he spoke so well of Mr. Weyoun, she thought for sure he would simply point out his faults, which made the situation all the more strange.

"However..." He continued. "We had certain rebels who's characters were disagreeable and their manners were engaging. Their vices rubbed off on Mr. Weyoun and slowly I began to see his change in character to the point where I no longer knew who he was. Mr. Weyoun was a lieutenant at one point in his career, did he ever happen to mention this to you Miss D'meanon?"

She shook her head sheepishly, all of this news was a bit overwhelming to her.

"He had mentioned something about being in the militia but never his rank." She replied.

"Then I fear that it falls upon me to inform you that he was stripped of said title due to his excessive debts, his drunken ruts, and the trail of ladies who were left impregnated by him. Do you have any idea where he is right now?"

He didn't wait for her to answer, nor did he seem to realize that the shock of what he had just said had Fae completely pale.

"One of the women he had... Certain dealings with was left with child. He had left her as is his custom with most women but what he failed to realize that this particular young lady had many connections and so he is very probably on his way to finally settling down and taking responsibility for his past actions. Not for love as you all understand it, but because he has no choice in the matter."

He then turned around to look up at the closed sign on the shop.

"I do not know if he has any idea of returning to Shopshire, and if he does, it is very probable that when you do see him, he will have taken a wife. So Miss D'meanon, I will give you my personal advice in this matter and suggest that..."

He turned around and realized she was no longer there. He looked up and saw her running away, her dress picked up with both hands as she ran full speed. He tried to run after her but she was surprisingly fast for a woman. At one point her bonnet fell off but she didn't stop to pick it up, she continued to run down the trail path.

Captain Solok stopped as he picked up her bonnet. He held it in his hands and felt the silky material of the ribbon before he brought it up to his nose and took a deep sniff. His eyes rolled back slightly before he looked up again, he couldn't even see her form she had ran so far.  
He gave a small smile as he realized that she was probably in better shape than some of the men serving in the militia.

Not once did he stop to think how his words might have hurt her. He didn't stop to think that the image Mr. Weyoun had laid out had been so immaculately perfect that finding out everything had been a lie would be enough to ruin her for any other man.

It dawned on him in a most disturbing manner.

Once again he looked at the bonnet, trying to come to terms with the fact that this might very well be the last time he would see her.

* * *

As was the custom for the small village of Shopshire, it wasn't long before Captain Solok's words had proven to be all too true.  
Mr. Weyoun had left town and taken a wife by the name of Lucy Valeris.  
It was said that she was a small, and proud looking woman who's 4 month baby bump was already visible.  
The scandal shocked the townspeople of Somerset and many looked at them with looks of shock whilst whispering to one another.

Fae had done her best to not go into Shopshire, not even to pick up her art supplies. For the first time ever she had sent one of the servants to pick it up for her. She was outside assembling her canvas when Martha came around with her crate. She watched as she brought the crate and tears suddenly sprang to her eyes. She needed to get out of Somerset, she needed to get away from hiding, away from the pain, and away from Mr. Weyoun.

Instead of painting as she had originally planned, she ran up to her room and closed the door before she quickly brought out a piece of parchment paper and her quill and ink box. She dipped her beautiful owl feather quill into the ink as she began to write to her Aunt who was practically her same age.

"_Dear Auntie Bea,__  
__ I hope that this letter finds you and Uncle Letant well. I would never wish to impose upon you but I must ask if you would allow me the pleasure of a visit as soon as possible.__  
__I require very much your company and a change of scene and society.__  
__Please reply with a response if you will have me._

_Yours ever,_

_Fae D'meanon_"

Bea picked up the letter as she read it for the second time. Her eyes narrowed at it as she thought out loud.

"Sounds like my niece is suffering from a broken heart; poor dear."

Sir Letant peered over from behind her and read a bit before tenderly kissing the top of her head.

"Tell her to come; we'll show her a smashing time at the lake district."

Lady Bea smiled as she pulled out a piece of parchment getting ready to reply.

"I agree; we'll make her forget all about her troubles." She replied with a wide smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**In this chapter there is mention of chocolate and pineapple. While these things are regularly available to us now, in the olden days of England they were considered a great luxury food item and only the very rich could afford them. Just an FYI there.**

* * *

The servants were helping Fae gather her trunk and other trinkets on to the carriage. Her Uncle Letant had sent his barouche box carriage over to pick her up. It was an impressive sight to behold; her mother in particular was admiring it as she stated:

"See that Fae? That is the kind of man you should marry, your Aunt Bea is a fortunate woman indeed, it's very sad that they're unable to have children, but I suppose that means that they have more to give to us then!"

Before Fae left she stopped by to see her father. She peered inside the room before knocking gently on the door. He looked up from his book through his spectacles. "So, you're off on your pleasure trip; think of what your poor parents will suffer in your absence."

She smiled happily as she placed her gloved hands behind her back. "It is a pleasure that I feel I very much need at this time father."

"Yes well; until you return I very much doubt that I will hear to words of sense spoken together." He then extended his hand out to her. "You will be very much missed my dear."

She took his hand and placed a goodbye kiss on his forehead. She could see that he was having difficulty watching her leave, he abruptly pulled away and sat back against his chair.

"Alright then; get along with you." He said as he returned to his book.  
She smiled at him before exiting his book room and heading downstairs. The carriage driver bowed as she appeared.

"My instructions bid me to give you this madam, so that your journey to the Letant estate is as pleasant as possible."

He extended a box to her which she gladly took. He then opened the carriage door for her and helped her step inside.  
Her excitement was such that she didn't wait long to open the box. The first thing she noticed was a letter written by her aunt stating:

"_My Dearest Niece,_

_If you're reading this than it would be proper to assume that you're on your way to us._  
_The journey can get to be quite tedious so I've left a few trinkets for you to enjoy._  
_Both your Uncle and I look forward to receiving you my dearest girl._

_Yours ever,_

_Auntie Bea_"

She put the letter aside and began to pull out the goodies her Aunt had packed. Inside was the latest Romance Novel written by Jane Austen; 'Northanger Abbey' it wasn't even available in the shops yet! Fae squealed with delight as she pulled it out and flipped through the pages, her Uncle Sir Letant had ways of getting things in advance, he was the kind of man that many admired; people always catered to his wants.

She also found a small box of confections known as chocolate, a rare treat indeed since it was currently only available in the American colonies, the islands in the Western regions and hardly available in Europe. She picked up the small box and opened the gold seal carefully, the scent of the chocolate enveloping her senses in a way no other food ever had. She picked up the small box and took another deep breath before carefully picking one of the dark brown morsels and taking a careful bite.  
She closed her eyes and moaned out loud as her taste buds rejoiced; it was indescribable, unlike anything she had ever tried before. Her mother had been right about something at least; her auntie Bea was a very lucky woman indeed if she was privy to such treatment on a regular basis.

The book had proven to serve as a great distraction. She never even noticed how time literally flew by, it was only when the carriage came to a halt that she realized that she had finally arrived. It was a grand estate. She looked up at the immense building, she counted sixty four windows which had a particular glaze that looked to be expensive. Outside were several servants in uniform lined up who awaiting her arrival.  
They were already bringing her things inside when one of the other servants opened the door for her, she was just stepping down when her aunt, Lady Bea and Sir Letant came outside.

Bea extended her arms and Fae ran into her aunt's embrace.

"You took so long! I was afraid you'd have been attacked by robbers!" Bea exclaimed.

Fae took a moment to look at her; her dress was exquisite. A dark green silk with the finest of lace trimming. Her hair was held back in an intricate bun with several dark brown curly rivulets falling around the front of her face, around her neck was a gold necklace studded with emeralds; it was obvious they were real, as well at the matching earrings.  
"I'm so glad that you've agreed to have me." Fae said with a wide grin.

"Think nothing of it my dear! We've been looking for an excuse to visit the lake country!"  
Bea replied.

Sir Letant came around and gave her a hearty hug as well, he had a smile from ear to ear that always distinguished his happy character, although rumor had it that before he met Bea, he was a ruthless, and stoic type of man. It was hard to believe since she had never seen that side of him in all the years she had known him.

"Come inside then!" He exclaimed jovially. "We have dinner waiting for you my dear."

"That's music to my ears." Fae replied. Only now did she realize how long the trip had actually been, food was very welcome to her at this point and indeed she was not disappointed for when they showed her to the dining room table, her eyes grew wide in shock.

She couldn't even name everything that was laid out on the table. There was ham, pheasant, lobster, shrimp, fish, beef, varieties of many breads some of which were stuffed with cheese and spinach. There was also celery, potatoes, black pudding, various fruits, at least three plates all filled with different kinds of cheeses, various wines, and a fountain filled with spiced punch.  
In the very center of the table was a sizable looking pineapple which Fae had never seen before in her lifetime. Only the very rich could afford to have them for they were one of the things imported from the distant islands and were hardly worth the trouble of importing since you risked having them arrive past their peak of freshness.

"WOW!" She exclaimed as she covered her mouth with her gloved hand. "This is really too much! I hate to think that I've caused so much trouble!"

"What trouble?" Sir Letant said smugly. "Bea and I eat like this everyday, I have to keep my Queen plump and happy." He said as he walked over to Bea. He then whispered something in her ear that caused her to blush and laugh before she whispered back: "We have a guest dear; later!"

He gave her a smoldering look before he cleared his throat and walked over to one of the chairs. He pulled it out and motioned for Fae to sit down.  
As was tradition in English fare, they began the meal with broth; a vegetable consomme packed with incredible flavor. The fine china had gold engraving around the edges and the silverware was exactly that; the finest silver she had had the pleasure of encountering.  
When it was time to eat the real food, Fae didn't even know where to start, Luckily Bea began piling a bit of everything on her enormously sized plate including an entire lobster. It got to the point where her plate took the shape of a small mountain.  
Bea laughed at the reaction Fae had to all the food and smiled over at her. "I should probably mention that in about an hour we will have tea and dessert so try to leave some space open for that." Fae looked up absolutely astonished at her words and then at Letant who smiled and winked at her as he chewed his food.

Fae was trying to crack open one of her lobster claws when Sir Letant began to speak: "So Bea and I were thinking that we should head out to the lake district tomorrow morning; is this amendable to you?"

Fae wiped her mouth of the butter and garlic sauce she had dipped her lobster meat in. "Absolutely, I am honestly in agreement with anything you all decide to do."

Letant lifted his wine glass and smiled, did he ever not smile? "Excellent; I promise that we shall show you a smashing good time!"

* * *

Fae and Bea were taking a walk around the vast grounds. Fae honestly couldn't remember the last time she had eaten so much food and if she was going to eat anything of dessert, she needed to attempt to at least walk off some of what she had eaten.

"If you do not mind me asking aunt; how long have you and uncle been married now?"

"Oh my dear! Feel free to ask me anything! Your uncle and I have been very happily married for the last 8 years now." Bea blushed and giggled then. "He 'saved' me in a manner of speaking for I had already been written off as an old spinster. I met your uncle when I was 34."

Fae gasped in shock. "Aunt, you certainly do not look your age."

"Well, they say that women who do not bear children have that advantage..." Bea's face suddenly became solemn. "We did try but after our second failed attempt we decided that we're better off child-less at any rate. It's not so bad when you consider that we can travel whenever we please, and Letant likes to have certain capabilities that would probably not be possible if we had children to tend to, I think sometimes these things happen for a reason."

"How did you meet uncle?" Fae asked.

Bea seemed to think about it for a moment before she laughed out loud. "Would you believe me if I told you that I despised him when I first made his acquaintance? It was at a ball, a good friend of his was invited and he sort of tagged along."

Fae blinked in shock. "I would never think such a thing simply by looking at him; he's constantly smiling!"

"Yes, that's his temperament now but before he was a grievous man with a horrible temper. I despised him and his advances even though at the time I did not know they were advances; I simply thought he was out to annoy me, and then one day I was in the parlour writing a letter to my sister Jane when he stormed into the room. He abruptly took off his top-hat and began to pace the room frantically without saying a single syllable for the longest time. I simply went back to writing my letter until he finally stopped to face me. He spoke of struggles and how despite his disdain towards our union because of my connections he still desired me as a wife."

Fae narrowed her eyes at that. "Wait a moment; disdain?"

Bea laughed. "Yes! Can you believe the nerve of that fool man? Well! You better believe that I set him straight my dear Fae; yes, I told him he could take his disdainful proposition and give it to someone else, I would never marry a man with such arrogance and conceit, his money did not impress me my dear Fae and I think he honestly didn't think I would ever reject him so you can imagine that after his shock subsided he was furious with me."

Bea smiled as she thought back.  
"I had not seen him for about a month and then suddenly I fell ill with a fever that would simply not break. I thought for sure that I would not live to see another day. I don't ever recall feeling as badly as I did then."

Fae nodded. "I remember that occurrence, we came to see you. We all thought the worst."

"And I don't know if your mother ever mentioned anything to you Bea but after you all left, that very night Letant showed up with his personal doctor, and an army of servants carrying remedies, food, and what not in an attempt to cure me. The man actually stood by my bed-side every night until I recovered."

She smiled then and leaned closer to Fae as she whispered: "He thinks that I was unconscious but there was one night in particular where he took my hands in his and cried, begging for me to forgive him for his previous treatment to my person."

Fae's eyes were wide with wonder. "And then what happened?" She asked eagerly.

"What needs to happen my dear? I couldn't get rid of the man even if I wanted to! He was there constantly overseeing my progress. He'd bring me flowers, acquire special foods so that I would recover faster, and it was on one particular afternoon where he was reading to me that I realized that I had been in love with him all the time. It was then that I knew I could not live without him. I eventually got strong again and he renewed his offer; I accepted. The rest as they say is history."

"And you're happy together now." Fae finished for her.

"Well; you've seen it for yourself. All he does is smile, sometimes I still can't believe how much he's changed, or maybe he was that way all along and just needed someone to pull it out of him. Sometimes I'm still amazed that out of all the women in this country, it had been me who did it."

"You discredit yourself aunt; you are a very lively and fascinating woman; he probably could not bear to think he would lose that." Fae replied.

Bea giggled at that. "If you say so my dear; Letant seems to think so and I will not argue with him on that score."

They fell silent for a moment and then Bea asked: "So? Who has broken your heart my dear Fae?"

Fae sighed. "It was that obvious?"

"Of course! I know of all these things my dear; was he a scoundrel in hiding?"

"You have no idea. A man by the name of Mr. Weyoun showed up unexpectedly one day to Shopshire. He was charming, kind, considerate; everything you could want in a husband. Then suddenly he disappeared and rumor is that he was forced to marry the most recent of his conquests due to her connections. She is already showing that she is well along four months. I felt.. so deceived in him aunt; I don't know that I can ever trust a man ever again."

Bea sighed. "It'll take time, but when the right man comes along; you'll just know it, but don't think of such things now; we're going to the lake district tomorrow and I promise you we will have great fun."

Fae smiled in response, coming from her Aunt Bea she knew that she would follow through with her promise; she only wondered what would be in store for her tomorrow.

**Bwahahahaha! What indeed! You'll have to wait for the next chapter ;-) **


	9. Chapter 9

Fae got up bright and early that morning.

Excitement coarsed through her as she anticipated her trip to the lake district. She was about to head towards the water vase when she suddenly stopped.

She concentrated on the sounds around her when she heard it again; it was giggling.  
She was still in her night clothes when she slowly opened the door to her room; she peered outside and onto the vast hallway. She looked around both ways and didn't see anything; she could not recognize the source of what she had heard.  
She was about to go back inside her room having decided that her mind was probably just playing tricks on her due to excitement when she visually saw her aunt running down the hallway, her breasts barely concealed by her corset and her petticoat bouncing about as she ran.

At first Fae was concerned that maybe something had happened, she was about to step out fully on to the corridor when she saw her uncle coming around the corner also clad in his night clothes. He cornered Bea against the wall and kissed her ardently, his hands running down her sides. She should go back inside her room, she should've turned away but at the same time she simply couldn't. Her aunt now actually bit down on the area between her uncle's neck and collarbone. He let out a loud sound that was a mixture of a moan and cry of ecstasy then all of the suddenly; her aunt suddenly took off again into one of the rooms, she tried to close the door off to him but he was too quick and eventually they both entered the room and the giggling finally subsided as she heard the click of the lock.

She was still standing out in the hallway, her eyes wide with shock, very aware of the awkwardness that would probably prevent her from looking at them in the same light ever again.

"They do this nearly every day." Came a sudden voice from her left side. She jumped up and let out a gasp of surprise. One of the servants dressed in uniform was standing beside her. He bowed and excused himself as he continued on his way.  
Realization dawned on Fae that she was in for quite the adventure.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

The first couple of minutes down at breakfast had been a bit awkward, but after Letant had started joking a bit, she actually enjoyed the playful banter between Letant and Bea. To her it seemed like they had a kind of connection, almost as if they were able to read each other's mind; it really was fascinating to watch.

While they had been having breakfast, the servants had gathered their trunks and belongings so that as soon as they had pushed off the dining table, they were ready to head out to the lake district.

Letant was giving the servants some final instructions while Bea and Fea climbed ahead on to the Barouche box.

"I must tell you that before we actually arrive at the lake district, we're making a stop at Dabescher; your uncle has many friends there who have been trying for a while now to get him to visit. I hope you do not mind my dear."

Fae's eyes lit up. "Oh no! I absolutely don't mind at all! I have always wanted to visit Dabescher, I hear it is beautiful this time of year."

Bea smiled. "Oh it is, and you know; one of Letant's militia friends is a very well to do man who is in want of wife; perhaps an introduction would be a welcome to you." She said with a sly smirk that made Fae blush.

"Oh.. I really don't know Aunt, I mean; I'm not adverse to meeting anyone new but I will not get my hopes up."

"Just meet him and then draw your own conclusions; no commitments." Bea said as she her hands with her own.

Fae had to admit that she was excited; time seemed to fly as they traveled in the Barouche. They arrived at an estate that was not as grand as Letant's but it was still extremely impressive. It was facing a vast lake that Letant informed was filled with trench and pike. The property was ideal for shooting Fae had observed, if they could stay the night she might try to convince her aunt to partake in it.

They had gotten off the carriage and were escorted to the impressive entry room that was filled with marble and exquisite sculptures.

They were admiring the artwork when a voice called to them from the top of the stairs.

"Letant old man! I am so pleased to see that you've finally come!"

Fae turned to see who had called out to them, she then suddenly felt her aunt shove her arm playfully as if to say: "That's the guy!"

He came down the stairs, his eyes dark but deep, he had shiny black hair, and a practically perfect complexion, the truth was that Fae found him to be incredibly attractive.

Letant was the one who began introductions:

"My wife Bea you already know."

Bea curtsied and stood by Letant's side.

"And this is our niece; Fae D'meanon. Daughter of Sir D'meanon from Somerset."

The host bowed as he looked at Fae for longer than he normally would've.

"I am Colonel Taurik; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. "


	10. Chapter 10

It occurred that evening while they were dining at Colonel Taurik's home.

They were all sitting at his grand table when suddenly a parade of uniform servants marched in carrying vast silver platters.  
Bea giggled excitedly while Letant carefully patted her hand under the table as if to tell her: "Control yourself dear."

Carefully they arranged the platters in front of them and when Taurik nodded; the servants at the same time lifted the silver covers to reveal plates filled with nothing but lettuce.

Bea's face fell immediately and Letant just barely maintained a laugh at his wife's reaction.

"Uhhh.. Colonel." Letant began with a smirk on his face. "I think your boys here mistakenly gave us the livestock feed."

"Believe me my good Sir; this is the first course of our meal." Taurik began. "Over the years and during my travels I have discovered that the best way in which one maintains practically perfect health is by eating foods such as these."

Fae picked up a lettuce leaf with a fork; she sniffed it before making a face and setting it back down on her plate.  
A variety of similar foods such as that was fed to them during the course of the night so that by the time they were finished, Fae could distinctly hear Bea's stomach protesting in hunger. Bea simply shrugged her shoulders and followed her husband out to the sitting area where Colonel Taurik brought out a large manuscript and began to read to them the value of exercising every day.

"Dr. Schucart of Plymouth once conducted a study where a man was dying due to obstruction of the lungs; his death sentence had been made known to the man and he retired far away to a distant land where he ate nothing but watercress and…"

At that moment Bea let out a huge yawn, to which Letant smirked at before slapping her side playfully. She in turn slapped him back causing him to move closer to her on the sofa they were sitting on.  
She whispered something in his ear which caused his demeanor to change completely. They both looked over at Taurik who was still completely transfixed in his reading.  
Letant ran his fingers gently down Bea's face before he carefully leaned closer to Bea and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

Already Fae knew where this was going and she rolled her eyes in annoyance. The Kiss progressed and they were practically undressing each other while trying to suck each other's faces off. Only the servant holding a pitcher of water actually moved slightly at the sight of them, Taurik was completely oblivious to what was happening as he continued to read:

"And so he continued to live in the deserted area; where he drank nothing but water from the lakes and rivers; a drifter due to his diseases."

Once Fae saw the buttons being undone she had had enough; she got up out of her seat and walked out of the room, again; Colonel Taurik had not noticed this.  
She went out into the terrace and took a deep breath as she took off her bonnet.

She looked off into the distance as was surprised to see a form approaching. She continued to stare in wonder; who could be walking towards Colonel Taurik's estate at this time of night? She continued to stare and when she was finally able to make out the face, her stomach somersaulted violently.

Despite herself, she found that she was quickly running down the terrace steps to meet up with him, she wanted to know what in the world he was doing there of all places, the last person she expected to see.

They met up mid way, she was breathing hard having run a bit, she did not know what drove her to do it. He looked at her up and down before he took off his hat.

"I cannot continue to live a lie. I… I am in love with you Miss D'meanon. I have traveled this far and have left everything behind before I make the biggest mistake of my life."

"But…." Fae began.

"Shh my dearest." He said as he came around to her. She looked up into his eyes as his fingers caressed her cheek.  
"I know you love me too; I have always felt your ardor, your passion for me, do not deny any longer as I wont either."

A small moan escaped her as she looked up at his lips. He leant down and she found herself hypnotized as he kissed her deeply. He left her completely breathless, her heart racing as she finally pulled away and said:

"Oh Mr. Vreenak; I'm so glad you came for me! I love you too!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Well Fae; I hope this will make your great day even greater!**

* * *

Fae shook her head and vanished that entire scenario out of her mind. There was no way on God's green Earth that she would ever see Mr. Vreenak in that light, much less marry him. She looked up ahead to where the supposed Mr. Vreenak would've been and only saw a few pheasant resting comfortably on the grass. She looked around and realized that there was plentiful game bird around, probably because Colonel Taurik didn't bother to shoot since all he ate was grass and drank pebble water or some mess.

A moment later she turned around when she heard footsteps on the terrace, Bea approached with a smile upon her face. Fae looked past Bea and didn't see Letant so she raised a questioning brow up at her.

"He stayed debating with Taurik."

Fae smiled. "He caught you."

Bea smirked in turn. "Yes, and then proceeded to tell us the reasons why procreation should only be conducted after sunset. They are now debating said topic especially after Letant said: 'Taurik; you don't know what you're talking of, you've probably never even seen a woman in pantaloons before in your life, do not consult me in such matters; I shall procreate whenever Bea and I wish to."

She sighed as she patted Fae lightly on the shoulder.  
"I'm sorry my dear but I'm afraid he's not exactly what I was expecting, I would go mad if I had to live with a man who thinks eating hay is beneficial. One could even say..." She paused as she looked out into the vast landscape.

"Those are pheasant." She said as if realization dawned on her. She continued to look around and a smile quickly formed on her face. "And those are quail! Oh my goodness Fae; we're saved after all! Real food! I have to go get Letant!"

Fae blushed as she looked at the birds. "Aunt; I have a confession to make."

"What is that my dear?" Bea said with concern. "You find Colonel Taurik's sick obsession to plant life desirable in a mate?"

"NO!" She laughed. "I was going to tell you that I.. I know how to shoot, and I'm actually really good at it."

She knew it was risky to tell people that. Women were not allowed to learn such activities, they needed to keep to their place and conduct themselves in a graceful manner but Fae had always been fascinated by it when she would watch Mr. Henrick shoot. He was one of the male servants at their estate and after nearly a year of begging; he finally agreed to teach Fae in secret. He had been amazed at how quickly she had picked it up and pretty soon was even shooting better than he did. She was fast and had a steady hand and an ability to almost detect in what direction the game would fly so she was always one step ahead.

She dared to look up at her aunt and expect a scolding only to find her giggling like mad. "Oh my dear! That is fantastic!"  
She finally cried out before running all out. Fae hitched up her skirts and ran after her.

"Come, let us go find some rifles to shoot with then."

Daintily; the women descended towards the bottom level of Colonel Taurik's home, they waved down one of the servants and without hesitating, Bea convinced the servant that the men had sent them to pick up their guns.

"Wow, this is REALLY an impressive piece." Fae said as she held the colonel's gun. They were now outside and hiding behind a couple of bushes and trees, they were sure to get dirty in the process, but neither of them seemed to care.

Bea held her gun up awkwardly. "You'll have to teach me how this is done dearest; I haven't the faintest idea."  
Fae showed her the correct pose, how to load the weapon, and when to aim and fire, she wasn't very good at it but at least she was enjoying herself greatly.

* * *

"Did you hear gunshots?" Colonel Taurik asked after taking a sip of his pebble water. They were playing cards, and Sir Letant was a bit miffed at the fact that he was losing every single game so far.

He picked up his glass of port and drained it before the servant refilled it.

"You cannot fool me young rabbit; that is a distraction tactic of yours."

"I am perfectly serious Sir; I think I heard gunshots."

Letant waved him off. "Preposterous, the women are probably upstairs drinking tea and doing needlework."

Colonel Taurik gave a small smile at that before asking. "Miss Fae is unattached then?"

"Indeed that is correct. She is a sweet girl with an obliging temperament, she would make a fine wife for any man I'm sure." He then looked up at Taurik and smirked."Perhaps you should join us in our outing to tour the lakes, I'm sure we'll find plenty of grass for you to eat."

Taurik remained completely neutral in expression but nodded slightly. "I will have to discuss the matter with my servants and my steward before I can confirm anything, but I think that I may be able to partake in your offer."

"Splendid, absolutely splendid!" Letant declared jovially, but then frowned when Taurik revealed his hand; Letant had lost again.

"Confounded rabbit! You cheated me!" He roared as he slammed his cards down.

"It would not do to be a sore loser in such cases Sir Letant." He said with a small victorious grin.

"I'm off to find the women." He said as he noisily got up.

"I would join you but the sun has set and in order to stay in optimum health, it would be wise for me to retire for the night."

Letant blinked. "Seriously? You're going to bed... now?"

"Yes." I will see you all at breakfast tomorrow. He bowed before ascending the stairs two steps at a time.

"Weirdo." Letant mumbled as he wandered outside.  
Once he stepped out into the terrace, immediately the scent of roast quail and pheasant hit his senses. He descended the steps and looked around until the he saw the trail of smoke and eventually the crackle of fire.  
For some reason he had a suspicion that his wife would be involved and he was proven correct when he heard her giggling out loud.

"Well, well, well; out for a snackette are we?"  
He said as he crept up silently.

"My dear!" She exclaimed as she held up a half-eaten skewered pheasant. Her hair was a disheveled mess and her face was a bit dirty but she had a wondrous glow that made him long for her all the more.

"You were shooting.." He said as it finally dawned on him. "So he really did hear gunshots."

"This one is done." Fae said as she took a small skewered quail out of the fire.  
Letant looked at the both of them in complete shock before he laughed heartily. So much that tears formed in his eyes and both women looked at each other oddly.

"Well; at least we don't have to worry anymore about him being angry with us." Bea whispered to Fae.

"Oh my dear, this is genius." He finally said as he wiped at his eyes, and then reached out and took the quail on-a-stick and took a bite out of it. "Mmm.. real food." He said as he continued to eat.

They explained to him how they got the guns and Fae admitted that she knew how to shoot. She was surprised to find that Letant was actually very much impressed, but warned her not to say anything to Taurik about it. He looked over at Bea and smiled tenderly towards her.

"My dear you look so endearing; why had I not thought of it before? I shall take you with me when I go shooting from now on."  
He took off his coat and wrapped it around her, to which she extended it so that Fae could get warm as well. They all huddled together around the crackling fire and watched it's warmth peacefully.

"It's amusing to think that this has been the highlight of our trip so far and Colonel Taurik was not here to experience it."

"Where is he anyway?" Fae asked. "picking up greens for tomorrow?"

"He retired for the night." Letant replied.

"Already?!" Bea exclaimed.

"Yes, he feels it gives him the benefit of optimum health."

At first they remained silent but then Bea let out a snort before laughing all out, this was followed by everyone else joining in on the laughter. "What a pansy boy." She continued to laugh.

"Do not crow to loudly my dear; I believe he is interested in our niece."

Bea made a face while Fae groaned. "What makes you think that my dear?"

"He seemed pleased when I informed him that she was unattached."

Bea quickly held her hand reassuringly. "Do not worry my dear. These things will work themselves out for the best. If he is not the one meant for you, something will happen and you will be free to choose someone of your liking; depend upon it my dear."

Fae smiled at her aunt's reassurance. All in all she was having an excellent trip. She was discovering different parts of the country, she had gone out shooting and (sort of) taught someone else to, tomorrow they would do more exploring, yes; it was turning out to be a great trip indeed.


	12. Chapter 12

**A big thanks to Sensara and Fameanon; probably the only two who're actually even reading this story :-)**

* * *

That morning only Fae was down at breakfast when Colonel Taurik walked in.

Before her was a luscious spread of radishes, raw brussel sprouts, and an eerie looking burgundy juice.  
Taurik hadn't even noticed that she was there and filled his plate with the brussel sprouts. He carefully lifted one up before he ran his tongue around it slowly; a slight moan escaping his mouth before he devoured it in it's entirely.  
The sight was surreal to Fae and she found herself pushing her plate away as a reflex reaction.

"Oh!" He said suddenly. "I did not know you were here." He said as he picked up a radish this time.  
He looked around before asking: "Where are your aunt and uncle."

She shrugged; I honestly do not know, perhaps you should go upstairs to make sure they're alright; I'm actually kind of worried about them.

Without any hesitation, he got up from his chair, but not before giving a gentle kiss to his radish and then placing it back on his plate with a gentle pat as if to say: "I'll be back later my pet"  
He walked with perfect posture as he ascended the stairs. She made sure he was completely gone before she burst out in laughter. Some of the servants around the table were looking at her oddly while others were trying not to laugh and squirming around trying to keep their mouths shut tightly.

She sat there waiting to hear it but all she heard was silence, after squirming around she finally got up her chair and walked towards the staircase hopefully to hear better.  
After a while she finally heard a knock followed the sound of the door opening and a scream that sounded as if it had belonged to a female soprano singer, it was followed by boots slamming against the hardwood floor and then the sounds of another door across the other side of the house slamming shut.

Fae tried to control her laughter and bit on her lower lip as she climbed the stairs and feigned concern when she saw her aunt and uncle half-dressed standing out in the hallway.

"What happened? Is someone hurt?" She asked completely serious.

Letant was stuttering while her aunt was blushing madly. "He walked in on us and…" She looked over at Letant who stepped forward and said: "We need to leave right after we get dressed."  
And so they did.

Taurik had never come out of the room, even when everyone tried knocking and apologized through the door. Fae pictured him lying on the floor in a fetal position while rocking back and forth; the poor man would probably never be the same again.

* * *

"Well that was quite an experience." Letant began as he tried to fill the silence in the carriage.

"Where are we going now uncle?" Fae asked as the carriage rocked back and forth as they were passing by a particular rocky region.

"Keswick, there is a wonderful inn there that makes magnificent food, and the grounds are delightful."

"How long will it take to get there my love?" Bea asked.

"about two hours time I should think, why are you all hungry?"

Both Fae and Bea nodded.

"Fine, we shall stop once we find a suitable place."

About an hour later they stopped at an inn that had a bakery on the first level. The smell of baked goods had them salivating with anticipation.  
Inside was a vast variety of stuffed breads, Danishes, Strudels, Cakes, Pies, and many other goodies.  
Bea ordered an entire cake to take with them on the journey back but they sat down to a large array of stuffed breads, Fae's favorite being the one with different cheeses.  
The proprietor of the place brought around a large ceramic soup container filled with beef and barley stew. Letant looked at it dreamily before accepting the gift.

They were all happily consuming their food when the bell at the front of the bakery rang to allow them to know that another customer had stepped in.

They heard the sound of boots slowly making their way up to the counter, Fae had to turn around to see it was, and at the sight, her jaw almost dropped in shock and surprise.

The man smirked arrogantly as he tilted his head to the side. "Well, well, we meet again."

Bea looked across and asked: "Who is your friend Fae?"

Fae swallowed hard before turning over to her. "This is Captain Solok."


	13. Chapter 13

"So, what brings you all the way out here Miss D'meanon?" Captain Solok asked with a slight purr.

"I'm traveling with my aunt and uncle, we're going to visit the lake county."

"Oh? Keswick?"

"Yes." Letant answered. "Do I know you my good Sir?" Solok asked which caused Fae's eyes to light up in surprise for that was probably the first agreeable statement she had ever heard him say in all of their acquaintance.

"No, but I'm always willing to make new friends." Letant said jovially as he stuck out his hand. "I'm Sir Letant; this here is my beautiful wife Lady Bea, and of course you apparently already know my charming niece."

He smirked as he looked at Fae. "Yes; I know her indeed. I had the pleasure of making her acquaintance while I was staying in shopshire."

"Staying?" Fae asked as if in past tense. "So, you are no longer there?"

Solok shook his head. "I have been transferred her to Cumbria, I'm not more than twenty minutes away by horse and am quite familiar with the lake district; Keswick in particular."

"Excellent!" Letant exclaimed loudly as he raised his hand in the air. "My good man; we would all be in your debt if you would join us for an excursion tomorrow, we are staying at the rose and crown"

Solok raised a brow. "That is quite a prestigious place; I had no idea that Miss D'meanon was so well connected."

He said as he momentarily graced her with a smoldering look that made her blush and bow her head down.  
He then looked up at Letant and gave him a small smile. "Consider it a deal; I shall be there say 8am? It is best if we start out early."  
Letant looked over at Bea who smiled in turn before nodding. "It's a deal; we'll see you then!"

Fae watched as he exited the bakery, she felt like all the air had been crushed out of her, she couldn't believe what had just happened.

* * *

The following morning was just as nerve racking; for Captain Solok came dressed in his finest militia attire and he was looking as handsome as ever. If Fae were honest with herself; she didn't think she'd had ever seen a man more handsome than him. She had to control herself she knew for this was probably just a disguise of some sort, or a game in which he was playing to try and capture her attentions.

First they headed down to lake Derwent where they were able to rent small boats and see the lake up close. There were already many couples there and Fae could see the women covering themselves with their white lace parasols. It was indeed a sight like no other.

The trouble was however that when they made their way down to the waters edge, they were informed that there were only two couples per boat. Solok immediately turned over to Fae and graced her with a look of triumph and said: "It appears we shall be sharing a boat."

She grumbled in turn. "So it would seem."

Fae did not have a parasol so her bonnet would have to suffice as coverage from the sun. She was careful to step onto the boat and not make contact with Solok, despite the fact that he held out his hand to her but she turned away and got on herself.

He began rowing to what seemed to Fae, specifically away from her uncle and aunt. This was confirmed when he suddenly stopped rowing and turned to her to ask: "Why do you now like me Miss D'meanon?"

She blinked and opened her mouth but then closed it abruptly having been caught off-guard.

"I didn't realize I was supposed to like you Captain."

"I have been kind and nothing but sincere to you." He replied.

Fae smirked. "Yes, but you also referred to me as a savage."

"It was an ill comment on my part and I apologize for it." He said with all sincerity.

"And that's supposed to make everything better? Allow me to remind you that your comment about Mr. Weyoun to me was extremely hurtful."

"You desired him; I was jealous."

Fae's eyes widened and her mouth opened most inelegantly. He smirked as he continued to row their boat. "Do close your mouth Miss D'meanon or the flies are likely to fly in.

"You insufferable man!" She yelled fervently; it caused their boat to rock.

"Keep that up miss D'meanon and we will both have to swim back. I do hope you know how to swim."

"Of course I know how to swim!" She said as she crossed her arms in front of her. Not all women are completely useless you know."

He smirked before replying: "I have always been of the thought that women should be treated as equals and not as a lesser. They are the perfect companion, a best friend; I felt that way almost since I first met you Miss D'meanon."

She looked at her nails as if uninterested. "I wonder how many young women have hear this tale before I."

"None!" He said pointedly as he stopped the boat again.

* * *

"Do you see that my dear?" Bea said to Letant as they looked at them arguing on the other boat.

Letant smiled as he continued to row. "I do indeed my love; I believe that our niece has finally met the one!"

* * *

"I do not wish to marry you." Fae responded.

"You will." He replied.

She got up off the boat and looked at him defiantly. "I'll jump off this boat if you continue such talk; I am dead serious Captain Solok!"

He got up too and the boat rocked violently.

"And I am dead serious about making you my wife Miss D'meanon, do not fight it any longer."

At that Fae dove headfirst into the water, everyone around them gasped in shock. A whistle could be heard from the shore and a man was coming to their aid.  
Fae was swimming towards that boat but she suddenly felt something grab her foot and pull her down. She almost swallowed water and she was more livid than ever, she was ready to fight and she didn't care if she'd have to physically hurt Captain Solok.

"You insufferable!" She began yelling but he suddenly pulled her face towards his and kissed her deeply as he held her in the water.  
Fae protested against his actions at first but never had she felt such passion ignite inside of her. It was as if those Chinese fireworks had been set off inside of her being. The pulse was electrifying and she found herself actually deepening the kiss.

Letant laughed heartily as he looked at them both and then back towards his Bea: "I give it less than a month before we're attending their wedding.

Next Chapter is the Epilogue ;-)

Thanks for reading


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